The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-26
The southern Negr3 as a Laborer.

The Southern Negro as Laborer.
Several farmers in different parts of the
South have been discussing in the columns
OF the Country gentleman, of New York,
the characteristics of he negro as. a farm
laborer One of them who signs himself
Farmer" thinks pretty we'll of the negro;
another, writing from Walthourville, Ga,
says he has employed many hands-Irish,
German and American; he has also 'em-
ployed several grades If the darby, from the
foreman to whom l paid SIS month cash
and board who stole my feed from the mules
after it had been put N the manger) to the
errand boy, at IS a month. They are all
thievish 'eye-servauts,' with no work in
them except by constant watching and
urging; the most unreliable labor in the
world-at work to-day and gone tomorrow,
returning the next day claiming to nave
been sick, sah,' leaving you III the grass to
get along as best you could; and if once in
your debt, then indeed you may say Good
by, Sam'' As for Farmers" cash plan,
do not question that Mr.. Powers settles
the same way. l never owe my hands a
cent on Sunday morning; everything is paid
Saturday night. Does this make my hands
work steadier and with more interest and
intelligence! Emphatically no. 1t makes
them come when | want them; that is all
have often given hand something above
his wages and praised him for his work.
thinking this would induce him to do still
better, but it was useless; the lack of ambi-
ton, innate to the darby, kept him from
boi,1
for the. morrow" praise spells them and
scolding drives them off have yet to see
and work one who can change from one
piece of work to another, except plain
blowing, without the boss being present to
direct. have been through it all and had
my confidence upset. If Farmer will
take Liberty county negro and work him
one year and pay him $500 and not watch
him and make Soc. ON his years labor will
become a convert to his remarkable doctrine
''don't watch your hands," but that is the
only way he can convince me.
The truth is that the average negro farm
laborer at the South is not we'll understood
by large majority of our own people. If
farmer makes money out of negro labor
he generally speaks we'll of it; if he loses
money, he thinks it frail and broken staff
to lean upon. The Southern merchant, who
has large negro patronage and makes
money, will insist that this kind of labor is
remarkably good, and it is the planters
fault if he fails and is sold out. The politi-
clan who secures a large negro vote and an
office thinks well of negro labor and the
negro, and often reminds the white people
how well they remained and behaved dur
ing the war, but forgets the ST. Domingo
threats and thirst for rebel blood, from old
age to the cradle, that in numerous negro
quarters in the South was at fever heat af-
ter the war was over, the South whipped
and Federal bayonets were seen at our CAPT
tails and on our streets. The whole truth
about the Southern negro since the war as a
laborer, citizen, a voter and in regard to
his status as Christian and in educational
matters, has never yet been written. 1t is
still in dispute and behind the curtain